The present invention relates to low calorie fat substitutes. More particularly, it relates to a free-flowing low calorie fat substitute wherein an inner low caloric or non-caloric core material is surrounded by a digestible fat composition.
In today's health conscious society, there is a growing demand for low-calorie foods. Excess body weight not only creates a feeling of low self-confidence in social situations but also has been shown to contribute to the impairment of the cardiovascular function of the individual. Moreover, the reduction of the physical performance capacity of the individual is another consequence of excess body weight.
Many approaches have been suggested to control excess body weight. The use of chemical appetite suppressants and appetite inhibitors is a well known approach but these chemical agents are often unsafe for long-term use and/or have undesirable side effects and are usually available only through a physician's prescription.
Low calorie foods have also been widely advocated as a diet regimen to control excess body weight. Such low-calorie foods include low calorie spreads, which are typically water-in-oil (w/o) emulsions; and low-calorie sauces, such as salad dressings and mayonnaise, which are typically oil-in-water emulsions.
Recently water-in-oil-in-water emulsions (w/o/w) have been proposed as an additive for low calorie foods. Such w/o/w emulsions are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,650,690, 4,632,840 and 4,590,086.
Low-calorie food additives comprising hollow microspheres of saccharose polyester are described in German Offenlegungsschrift No. DE 30 03 401.
Low calorie food additives comprising hollow microspheres of vinylidene chloride-acrylonitrile copolymers are described in German Offenlegungsschrift No. DE 25 30 118.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,198,400 refers to a water-reconstitutable juice or soup composition which contains cellulose dietary fibers coated with lipids to render the cellulose fiber hydrophobic.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,964 refers to an artificial cream-type food product having a continuous liquid aqueous phase comprising a dispersed oil phase and gelled water beads.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,734,287 and 4,744,521 refer to proteinaceous, water-dispersible macrocolloids comprising substantially non-aggregated particles of dairy whey protein.